Drive Comments

Selector_ 2 | 11 Oct 2017 04:55

It would be easy enough to blame the unions and ridiculously high wages for the closure but most insiders seem to agree GM were always going to shut down the Australian operation regardless.

Selector_ 2 Selector_ 2 | 11 Oct 2017 05:31

Then again on second thoughts, just look at what these POOR workers will be paid. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/holden-the-car-makers-australian-exit-is-a-good-thing-20131214-2zdvv.html

Ads1977 | 11 Oct 2017 08:19

It wouldn???t have closed if it made money. Unfortunately we kept building big cars with big engines and feel asleep at the wheel while other manufactures were becoming smaller and more efficient and exporting to the world. It???s fair to say our perceived love of v8s and the yobbo mentality has blindsided Holden. Theoretically we should be able to build cars 20% cheaper than the United States given our exchange rate. Unfortunately unions got greedy and factory workers were being paid 120-130k with some overtime, fine if we were making quality product like BMW, MB or Lexus exporting to the world but we only made average cars for Australia.

DJM61 | 11 Oct 2017 08:28

Hyundai pay high wages in South Korea. They make huge profits. Holden never built a world car.

Steve 0 | 11 Oct 2017 09:14

The truth is our market is too small. To design, engineer and build a car for such a small market is not sustainable. Once the cheaper cars from Asia started flooding the market Australians dropped the Aussie cars like a stone. Plus everyone now just has to have an SUV or a 4WD. The local guys couldn't compete. Also you would want a decent payout if you just had your job pulled out from under you with little prospect of future employment.

Lucas | 11 Oct 2017 10:33

As an Aussie taxpayer I am only too glad to see the back end of GM/Holden, Ford, Toyota and the rest of them. They were just car makers that played us for fools, making decisions that benefited the overseas owners and home countries well ahead of Australia whilst simultaneously taking truck-loads of tax dollars and simply repatriating it back to the home country. Billions and billions of your money ultimately squandered. I feel sorry for those that lost their jobs but even sadder as the opportunity cost of pouring billions of tax dollars into the pockets of rich overseas car makers. Had we stopped this madness years ago we would all be better off now.

Steve 0 Lucas | 11 Oct 2017 12:29

Firstly every country that manufactures automobiles subsidises it's car industry. The benefits outweigh the cost. Great Britain got rid of it's car industry some time ago. It affected the rest of their economy so badly that they reopened the car factories and figured it was better to subsidise the industry than have the rest of the economy in the doldrums. There is no simple answer but I reckon Melbourne and Adelaide are going to feel the pinch sooner or later.

Ads1977 | 11 Oct 2017 11:30

Just look at the Holden factory it???s an embarrassment. I know GM weren???t prepared pump money into it but it looks like some back ally recycling centre. Compare it to factories in Germany and Japan, no wonder... shit in shit out.